University of Rochester
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

A student conducted research under the supervision of Facilities to evaluate how the Mail Services program can reduce the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of its vehicles. The project is being expanded to look at vehicular energy use and emissions of other institutional fleets.

Representatives from University Facilities provide a guest lecture and campus tour to students in a capstone course in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department entitled Science and Sustainability. Some students have selected to write their final research papers on sustainability success and challenges on campus.

Students in an undergraduate course used Kill-a-Watt power meters to assess the electricity consumption of residential appliances. They then developed surveys and educational materials which will be distributed to departments on campus for educational purposes, and they will "rent" out their services to perform energy audits in interested departments in the future.

Dining locations often serve as labs for groups of Ecoreps working on projects. These projects include things like waste reduction, limiting the use of plastic bags and other dining related topics.

Team Green works on projects that tie education to our Dining Services program. They have measured plate waste at an evening meal while educating students on food waste issues in our country. They spent a year looking at the sale of bottled water. They did research, held educational programs, tabled and made recommendations on how to reduce the use of bottled water on campus.

First-year students in a class entitled "EcoReps: Introduction to Leadership and Sustainability" worked with Grounds to convert several overgrown raised beds to functioning gardens. Grounds offered equipment and material support, and the students provided the manual labor and ongoing maintenance. The students will develop signage to educate the campus community about the food and ecological benefits of the gardens.

GreenSpace hosts several events on campus throughout the year, including their most successful effort, a sustainable fashion show. Recycle the Runway was held in honor of America Recycles Day and called on different student groups to create an ensemble made from materials that are commonly disposed of, to be modeled in front of an audience. The event blended fun with education; the show’s two masters of ceremonies explained whether or not the materials modeled could be recycled and why.

Students in the course Hydrology and Water Resources have designed rain gardens at selected locations on the UR campus. They have shared these results with Facilities and discussed the possibility of implementing some of them to reduce drainage problems in those locations.

The Sustainability Coordinator is a position through the Students Association who encourages collaboration between green groups on campus and coordinates with faculty and administrators to promote sustainability throughout campus. In the past the Sustainability Coordinator has been able to assist groups with event planning and promote sustainability across campus.

During the 2017-18 academic year, the Faculty Senate created an Ethical Investment Advisory Committee to review and provide recommendations on the University's investment portfolio. Undergraduate students were involved in the creation of the committee and serve as members.

The College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering identifies community-engaged courses as part of the Citation in Community-Engaged Learning that undergraduate students may elect to pursue. Numerous courses are offered each semester with this designation; some focus on the campus, while others focus on the broader community. An example of one of these programs is the Mountain Health Field School, which takes place in both Ladakh, India and Borca di Cadore, Italy. It is a menotred field experience that takes place over three to four weeks during the summer. All findings are shared with the local community.

Well-U is an award-winning health and wellness department at the University of Rochester. Our mission is to improve the health and wellness of University employees by promoting a work environment that encourages healthy behaviors.

In today's busy world, the worksite is a convenient place to engage in programs that promote positive health behaviors. Well-U provides the tools, resources, and education necessary to support healthful living, both at home and at work.

Transition Opportunities at UR (TOUR): TOUR is an inclusive college experience at University of Rochester for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities age 18-21. While in TOUR, students have the opportunity to participate in College courses at University of Rochester (non-credit status), vocational training and internships (paid or unpaid), transition and independent living education, social activities on and off campus. Employment is an outcome that is expected for all students. This manifests through TOUR students participating in paid and/or unpaid internships. These placements are decided based on student interest and career goals with a great number of TOUR students who have currently and historical expressed interest in working in fields like landscaping, grounds keeping, and facilities & dining services (food recovery, recycling, etc). Through internships with these departments on campus, TOUR students have learned effective sustainability practices in the context of the aforementioned areas.